In an Insider-only feature, a panel of ESPN’s expert ranked baseball’s 30 franchises using a formula based on five factors: big league talent, minor league talent, finances, management, and roster flexibility. The Cardinals lead the way with a score of 86.9 (out of 100) while the Red Sox (83.4) were the only other club to score higher than 78. The Brewers bring up the rear at 14.3. Ouch.
The Yankees rank 11th at 53.8, down from fifth (65.9) before the season and second (79.6) from this time last year. Their financial grade, which ranks second only to the Dodgers, carries them as the big league roster, farm system, and management categories all took hits from earlier this year. Weirdly enough, the Yankees improved their roster flexibility grade, I guess because they have a ton of players due to become free agents after this season. Even though they’ve played well of late and could sneak into the postseason, it’s hard to argue the team is trending downward and in need of a rebuild or retooling in the near future.
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